Headshot

Sarah Butler

Senior Managing Director

Contact

San Francisco
Tel: +1 415 291 1022
Fax: +1 415 291 1020

Email: sarah.butler@nera.com
vCard: Download

Education

MA in applied sociology, Temple University
MA in philosophy, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
BA in sociology and history, with Honors, Wellesley College

Experience

Sarah Butler is one of the world’s foremost testifying experts in survey research and sampling, with over 15 years of experience designing and implementing complex consulting projects for clients involved in litigation, arbitration, regulatory proceedings, and business strategy. She has advised major brands including Apple, Walmart, Toyota, and Gatorade, and her research and testimony have been accepted in state and federal courts during bench and jury trials, by regulatory bodies like the ITC and the Copyright Board, and in arbitration venues.

Ms. Butler frequently conducts survey research and analysis in support of intellectual property disputes involving trademarks, patents, and alleged false advertising, including conducting surveys to establish likelihood of confusion, secondary meaning, and dilution. In patent matters, Ms. Butler has designed studies to determine the value attributable to a patented feature. She has also designed and implemented surveys in a range of consumer class action matters including those related to privacy and data sharing, product labeling, and product liability. In antitrust matters, she has designed and evaluated surveys offered to estimate market shares and as evidence of cross-shopping behaviors.

Ms. Butler is an expert in consumer perception studies and experimental design and has designed and evaluated complex survey designs including willingness to pay and hypothetical choice surveys. She has also reviewed secondary market research with a focus on evaluating its reliability and potential limitations as evidence.

Ms. Butler also offers expert testimony in sampling matters. She has designed and evaluated samples in employment litigation and product testing cases. Outside of litigation, Ms. Butler assists companies with brand awareness and brand tracking studies and claim substantiation work.

Prior to joining NERA, Ms. Butler worked in market research, conducting survey research, focus groups, and in-depth interviews.

Title Type Author
A Tale of Two Cups: Acquired Distinctiveness and Survey Evidence Before the TTAB Published Article Sarah Butler and Healey Whitsett
Survey Response Bias and the ‘Privacy Paradox’ Published Article Sarah Butler, Dr. Garrett Glasgow, and Dr. Samantha Iyengar
The Value of Non-Personally Identifiable Information to Consumers of Online Services:... Published Article Dr. Garrett Glasgow and Sarah Butler
Damages Based On The Intrinsic Value Of Privacy? Published Article Dr. Garrett Glasgow and Sarah Butler
Pharmacy Practice: A Report on Pharmacists' Use of Printed Package Inserts Report Dr. Sarah Butler
The Use Of Statistical Sampling Post-Duran Published Article By Sarah Butler
The Value of Personal Information to Consumers of Online Services: Evidence from a Di... Study By Sarah Butler and Dr. Garrett Glasgow
Survey Evidence in False Advertising Cases Published Article By Sarah Butler
Meeting The New Standard For Reasonable Royalties Published Article By Sarah Butler et al.
The Use of Surveys in Litigation: Recent Trends Working Paper By Sarah Butler and Dr. Kent Van Liere